


The Darkest Hour

by empyreanturtle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anger Management, Canon Compliant, Character of Faith, Drama, F/M, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Loss of Faith, Loss of Identity, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Spoilers, Tragedy, failure - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2018-12-19 11:40:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11896992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empyreanturtle/pseuds/empyreanturtle
Summary: The darkest hour is just before the dawn.Everything Felicity Surrigo knew in life changed the moment Leviathan rose from the waters of Altissia. For Gladiolus Amicitia, the Hydraean's awakening made him more aware than ever about his role as Shield, and what it would mean to fail.-----This work will reference massive spoilers in Final Fantasy XV - read at your own risk! It is written on the assumption that the reader has played the game, or is at least familiar with the story. It is mostly canon-compliant with the main game, and also canon-compliant with my good friend's story,Solstice.A very special thanks toayy_zajjyfor encouraging and beta-reading this work!





	1. Chapter 1

Felicity Surrigo watched from the bow of the fishing vessel, _Cormoran_ , as the city of Altissia floated into sight from behind a cliff. Even after five years of the same view nearly every day, the beauty of the city never failed to fill her with a moment of hope.

“ _Surrigo!_ ”

Felicity cringed as the feeling was ripped away by the grating voice of Captain Gifre. She hurried to coil the rest of the rope as she made her way towards the mast and tied it down to the deck.

“I swear yer slower than a sea slug,” Captain Gifre complained.

Around the boat, the crew prepared to offload their catch from the last two days. The first mate Dax yelled at the greenhorn Tym for making the same mistakes the first mate had made just a few hours earlier. The fiery Roux skittered around the mast and yards tying up the sails beneath the distinctive flags of a white sea bird on navy blue. The ironsmith - the man so silent he had never even given the crew his name, so they just called him by his primary job - was inspecting each bit of their gear, taking stock of what repairs he would have to make on the ship while docked. Felicity was on clean up, as usual, finishing all the jobs the others had abandoned or never even started.

Roux swung down to the deck in front of Felicity. The seawater and sweat had made his bright red hair curl even more than usual. He had only joined the crew a few months ago, not long after Gifre had taken over as captain, but had spent most of his life serving other vessels on the sea.

“Hey, Surrigo,” he said with a lopsided smile.

“Hey, Roux,” Felicity replied. She avoided eye contact with him, as usual. Not that it ever discouraged him.

“We’re coming into port soon,” Roux stated. “When are you gonna let me show you around?”

She knew reminding him that she had lived in Altissa for the last five years wouldn’t make a difference. “That all depends on the Captain,” she replied.

“He’s planning on staying in harbor the next two days,” Roux said with a smirk.  _ Of course he already talked to the captain. _ Felicity kept a straight face, revealing neither her annoyance at Roux’s persistence or her joy at the news. The next morning, the Oracle was going to summon the goddess Leviathan, and two days off meant Felicity would actually be able to attend the ceremony.

“So how about it?” Roux asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“We’ll see,” she replied vaguely. The last time she had said no outright - at least two months ago - Roux had cornered her until she agreed to a ‘maybe.’ Captain Gifre had done nothing, just looked on with mild amusement.

“ _Surrigo!_ ” The captain yelled at her again for her delay of tasks, conveniently ignoring Roux’s similar offense. Ever since Gifre had taken over the ship six months prior, his favorite display of power was singling Felicity out every chance he had. She had never been disrespectful to him - she knew better than that - but the previous captain had favored her, something Gifre always hated.

Still, Felicity went back to her chores on the ship without any complaint. No matter how much the crew taunted and tormented her, it was still better than her life had been in Lestallum. She’d tolerate Gifre and Roux twice over, so long as she had work, food, and a place to sleep.

\-----

Just over an hour later, Felicity watched as Dax lowered the last of their fish onto the delivery boat below. She swung her legs over the rail - one part of the job she actually enjoyed was bringing the fish to the various restaurants and vendors - but stopped when she heard the captain yell her name again.

“Where d’you think yer going?” he asked. Felicity didn’t bother to answer, and instead swung back onto the boat.

“My ship needs to be spotless for the awakening tomorrow,” Captain Gifre continued. “All of us know yer the only bitch stupid enough to stick around and do it.”

Felicity sucked in a breath to prevent her sigh from escaping.  _ Only stupid enough to follow your orders. _ “Yes, Captain,” she replied instead. Cleaning the ship had always been Tym’s task, before Gifre had taken over. Nearly seven years younger than her, the boy earned a place on the ship under the old Captain Aarao doing all the tasks a person can do before they learn how to fish. But Gifre was buying loyalty, and he didn’t seem interested in earning hers.

While she got out the mop and bucket, she heard the captain assign delivery of the fish to Tym, then walk off with Dax and Roux not far behind. The ironsmith lingered on the ship, inspecting the outer hull for any damage sustained during their voyage.

Once the captain and his two lackeys were out of sight, a whisper came from the delivery boat below, “Surrigo?” Felicity leaned over the rail.

Tym sat in the boat looking up at her, bewildered. “I don’t know where to go, or how much to deliver, or…”

“The First Secretary’s estate. Then the stalls outside the Leville. Then Mhaago. The stalls and Mhaago each get half of whatever the estate doesn’t want. Tell them you’re from the  _ Cormoran _ , and they won’t give you any trouble with the payments,” she explained. Gifre was still earning his reputation with the vendors - or failing to, in some cases. But the fishing boat’s name was still one held in high regard.

“Thanks, Surrigo,” the boy replied and shoved off.

Felicity smiled and returned to cleaning.  _ Good luck, kid. _

“You are nice to him,” the rare, deep voice of the ironsmith rumbled. Most of the crew had never heard more than a few words from the man, but Felicity always tried to be friendly to him, especially when they were left behind on the boat alone.

Felicity nodded. “Someone needs to be.”

“He will turn on you,” the man declared. “Captain will see to it.”

Felicity sighed inwardly. “I know,” she said truthfully. “But Captain Aarao would have wanted it this way.”

The ironsmith clucked his tongue at her. “You should be more careful. Captain does not like to hear that name. He does not want anyone to know.”

_ Know? _ “Know what?” she asked.

“It is nothing,” he replied. “What is in the past cannot be undone.”

Felicity felt her heart begin to race. Captain Aarao’s death six months prior had been attributed to a sharp decline in health. But Felicity had spent every day with the man for nearly five years, and Gifre’s sudden elevation to captain afterwards seemed to go a bit too smoothly. If there was a reason, a real one, for why Captain Aarao died so suddenly, she had to know it.

“Please,” she begged, “Do you know something?” She knew from experience that quiet people were often mistaken to be hard of hearing as well.  _ What have you heard? _

The man shook his head. “It is too dangerous for you.”

“I don’t care,” Felicity said in a rare moment of rashness.

The ironsmith shook his head again more vigorously. “I made a mistake in saying. Please do not ask again.”

Felicity sighed, but nodded her agreement. She didn’t want to press her luck with the one person on board that was genuinely nice to her.

“Would you like help cleaning?” the ironsmith asked her.

“No, but thank you,” Felicity replied.  _ The empty ship reminds me of when Captain Aarao was still alive. _ “Please, go enjoy yourself.”

The man gave a nod of his head and exited the ship.

\-----

By the time Felicity finished cleaning the boat, the sun was low on the horizon. She rushed to her cabin and began filling a bag with a few clothes, her gil, and a couple meal bars. On top, she placed her two most prized possessions - a fishing knife with the Hydraean’s image carved into the hilt, and her ragged copy of _Cosmogeny_. Captain Aarao had given both to her as a gift when she first joined his crew.

_ If you are faithful to the Gods, they will be kind in return, _ he had promised. She started praying with him to Leviathan and the rest of the Six that very same day, and their fishing haul that day was the largest of the season. Felicity earned enough money to buy a real meal and a room for herself at the inn for the first time in years.

Ever since that day, Felicity’s life had improved. She learned how to fish and navigate the sea. Captain Aarao was kind to her. The rest of the crew were a rough group, but they never hit her or forced anything on her. One man had tried, only a month after she came aboard, but Captain Aarao intervened and left the man’s fate to Leviathan.

But more important than the rest, from the day she started praying to the Six, Felicity knew she would never have to live dependant on anyone ever again. Of all Her blessings, Felicity thanked Leviathan for that one the most.

Felicity cinched the top of her bag and slung it over her shoulder. It was too late to go to the Hydraean’s altar that night, but Mhaago would still be open. Weskham’s stories of his travels across Lucis always made the long days seem worth it. She stepped into the passageway and saw a dark silhouette leaning against the doorframe at the other end.

“In a hurry to leave, Surrigo?” Gifre’s voice echoed down the wood paneling.

_ Gods damn it. _ She managed to keep her face emotionless, but averted her eyes downward. “Just finished all the cleaning, Captain,” she replied.

Gifre looked around the hallway and seemed to nod in approval. “I guess it’ll be good enough. We’ll see when my guests come on board for the awakening tomorrow.”

Felicity tightened her grip on her bag, waiting for the Captain to reveal what he really wanted from her. Gifre took a long draw from an unlabeled bottle. After several seconds of silence, Felicity walked towards the captain.  _ Please let me just leave. _ When she got within three paces, the stench of liquor hit her like a wall, and as she tried to step through the door, he braced his arm against the opposite frame to block her path.

“Everything I do for you, and not even a ‘thank you,’” he sneered.

Felicity swallowed back several retorts that came to mind.  _ He’s drunk. Just find a way to get past him. _ “I appreciate everything you do for us, Captain,” she said as genuinely as she could manage. “We’re lucky to have you on the ship.”

Gifre shook his head and chuckled. “Not for the crew, Surrigo. For  _ you. _ Y’think Roux would’ve let you be if I hadn’t given you the ship to clean? Damn ginger wouldn’t shut up about how I ruined his night.”

Felicity clamped her mouth shut.  _ He really thinks he did me a favor? _ she thought with horror.

“And all I get in return is yer judging me all the time,” Gifre continued. “Don’t think I don’t know what’s goin’ on in that head of yers.” He tapped her temple with his finger, as if to prove his point.

Felicity recoiled, and shook her head to disguise the reaction. “It’s not my place to judge, Captain.”

“Damn right it’s not!” He took another long draw from his bottle. “Listen, Surrigo. One day you’ll wake up and realize I did ye a favor. And when ye do, I expect somethin’ in return. Got it?”

“Yes, Captain,” Felicity said automatically. She wasn’t sure what favor he thought he did for her. She certainly couldn’t think of anything in all the time she knew him.  _ I hope I never find out, _ she thought to herself,  _ And never owe him anything for it. _

“Yer a sweet girl, and a pretty good fisher,” Gifre said as he finally moved out of her way. “You’ll see one day what I can really do for you.”

As the captain walked down the passageway to his quarters, Felicity let out a long breath she hadn’t even realized she had been holding.  _ Leviathan, please save me from this mad man, _ she prayed, then left the boat as quickly as she could.

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, Felicity stood among the throngs of people gathered in front of podium where the Oracle would be giving her address. After visiting Weskham at his restaurant, she had spent most of the night scrubbing her clothes spotless and shining the blade of the Hydraean knife. She even spent far too much time in the mirror that morning tying up her hair in something vaguely resembling a style she once saw in a photo of Lady Lunafreya. Today was likely to be one of the most important days of her life, and Felicity wanted to look her best for it.

She went to the plaza early to guarantee a close view. She was faithful to the Six, and both admired and revered the Oracle for her connection to them. The Hydraean knife hung on her belt; it was her only possession that seemed worthy enough for the occasion.  _ What I wouldn’t give for the chance to hear Leviathan’s response as I lay it on Her altar! _

Felicity waited for what seemed like an eternity before the Oracle finally approached the podium. Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret brought her hands together in prayer, and it sent a tingling rush through Felicity’s body.  _ We will be praying together, _ she realized.

“Dear friends,” the Oracle began. “I stand before you today with little hope the words I speak shall reach beyond these walls...”

Felicity listened intently as the Oracle continued on about the darkness of the world. Ever since the first news that Lady Lunafreya would be marrying the prince of Lucis, Felicity had been glued to her radio. She had gone through an entire spectrum of emotion through news that Lady Lunafreya and Prince Noctis had died, that the Oracle had lived, and rumors that the Prince had made it out of Insomnia as well. Now, the Oracle was in Altissia, Felicity’s home, standing barely thirty feet away, informing the crowd of her intent to summon Leviathan.

Felicity swallowed back the swell of emotion that threatened to escape her. The news reports from the last couple of weeks had said that Titan had already been awakened, and Ramuh as well, if the rumors were to be believed. Felicity worshipped all of the Six, but Leviathan had always been her favorite. She had faith that even out in the middle of the sea, far away from any altar, Leviathan could still hear her prayers and would protect her from any harm.

As Lady Lunafreya spoke of Lucis, Felicity’s mind began to wander to what Leviathan might do once awakened.  _ Will She give us Her blessing? Will the Oracle allow us to speak to Her, and present our gifts in person? _ Felicity fingers brushed along the knife’s hilt at her belt.  _ I will give it to Her from the both of us, Captain Aarao, _ she silently promised to her deceased friend.

Cheers from the crowd broke Felicity’s train of thought. The Oracle, having finished her speech, gave a small nod, then withdrew from the podium.  _ This is it, _ Felicity thought as she sucked in a breath. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She gripped the hilt of the knife as the crowd surged around her.

The people of Altissia rushed to get as close to the summoning altar as the city guard would allow. Areas directly on the water were blocked off, which meant people pressed their way to the platforms and open areas just above. Felicity was among them, but despite her height, she couldn’t see beyond the shoulders and heads of those who had managed to get in front of her.

_ This is worthless, _ she thought dejectedly.  _ I have to find a better place to see. _ She backed away from her spot, one that was filled in an instant by those nearby, and made her way to the edge of the crowd. An idea came to her, and Felicity quickly made her way back up the steps to the First Secretary’s estate, around the side, and to the channel she so often used to deliver fish. She ran along the edge of its frame, following its path towards the harbor.

When she reached the loch between the two levels, Felicity jumped from the channel’s edge to the sidewalk nearby. From there, she moved past abandoned buildings - evacuated at the First Secretary’s request - across a bridge and down an alley way she once used to hide from Roux. At the end of the alley, Felicity pressed up against a fence that prevented people from getting too close to the level’s edge.

Felicity let out a sigh of relief as the Oracle’s voice rang out in song.  _ Thank the Six. _ Through the bars, she could make out the Oracle standing on a platform a level below. She wasn’t close by any definition of the word, but the silence and seclusion of her viewing point allowed her to just barely hear the Oracle’s song and words.

In the sea beyond, Felicity saw the outlines of various fishing and pleasure boats, owned by the captains brave enough to go against the First Secretary’s docking orders. She was sure the  _ Cormoran _ was among them, after Gifre had ordered the ship cleaned. Felicity tried to make out the navy blue sails of the boat, but all of them were too far away to be sure.

As Lady Lunafreya’s song faded away, a sound like nothing Felicity had ever heard before echoed across the water. It was like a thousand voices in unison speaking a language the world had long forgotten. Felicity seemed to hear the sound all around her and feel it deep within her soul.

_ Leviathan. _

Felicity grasped the bars of the fence in front of her tightly. Her entire body felt like it was sparked by lightning. She searched the water below looking for any sign of the Goddess as the Oracle spoke to Her. The world seemed to slow down. Felicity knew her heart was racing, but in that moment waiting for the Goddess to appear, each beat felt like an eternity from the last.

Then, from the calm waters before the Oracle’s platform, a serpent-like creature rose straight into the air. It had to be nearly fifty fathoms tall. Felicity fell backwards from the fence as she tried to look up at Her. The breath Felicity has been holding finally came out whispering, “Goddess.”

Felicity felt like her heart was going to explode. The last five years she had worshipped the Hydraean. In that time, she had felt the first sort of peace or happiness since before her father had been killed by the Imperials while on one of his journeys. Leviathan had protected her, listened to her prayers, and answered them.  Leviathan, the being rising from the water below, had blessed her with a better life.

Felicity rose to her feet with her eyes transfixed on the Goddess of the Sea. The Oracle continued to speak to Her, and Her voice filled the air in response.

Then an explosion erupted at the back Leviathan’s head, and another along Her long spine. Felicity jerked her head in the direction the blast came from, only to see an Imperial ship smoking with the aftermath of a fired cannon.

_ No, _ Felicity thought angrily,  _ You can’t take Her, too. _ She pressed herself against the fence again. “Leviathan, please,” she prayed, “Sink these Imperials once and for…” Felicity’s voice trailed off as the Goddess sent a wave of water directly at the Oracle, knocking her to her knees. Felicity felt her brow furrow.  _ Why would She try to harm the Oracle? _

In between the Imperial blasts and Leviathan’s increasingly menacing voice, Felicity heard Lady Lunafreya scold the Astral regarding the worship and praise She received. Leviathan made a sound that could only be described as a growl, and clamped her jaws around the Oracle. Felicity could hardly believe what she was seeing. The Goddess of the Sea, the guardian deity of Altissia, had angrily taken the only human capable of communing with Her and tried… to  _ eat her. _

“Leviathan!”

The Oracle’s voice rang out over the water and a beam of light shot straight into the air. A blast sounded from the platform, and the Hydraean recoiled back, revealing the Oracle safely standing there. Felicity’s relief was quickly cut short as Leviathan roared into the sky once again. The tone of Her voice dropped low. Felicity couldn’t understand the words She spoke, but it was a tone she recognized all too well - an ominous and brazen threat.

Felicity turned away from the fence and leaned back against a wall. She felt like her lungs had filled with water. Every breath she tried to take came up short. How could this angry, hostile serpent be the same Goddess that protected and blessed her so many times?

Felicity felt sick.

Another roar from the Goddess of the Sea pulled Felicity’s attention once again to the water below. Leviathan had begun spiraling in the air. In the distance, the boats viewing the ceremony rose with a wave larger than any Felicity had seen in even the worst storms. The Imperial ships continued their assault despite their moving target. One of their blasts hit a portion of the lowest level of the city after Leviathan avoided the attack, and another followed shortly after.

_ It’s become a warzone, _ she thought in horror.

A rumbling sound behind her made Felicity turn her attention away from the battle below. It sounded like a wave crashing against the side of a hundred boats all at once. The ground beneath her began to vibrate and the glass on the windows rattled like marbles in a jar.

“Shit,” Felicity exclaimed as water began to pour around the corners of the buildings at the end of the alleyway. She quickly climbed to the top of the fence, steadying herself against the building, before jumping for a balcony further away than she cared to worry about.

Her hands hit the railing and her body collided with the stone base. Her fingers curled tightly as she try to get a grip on the metal. Beneath her, the water rushed out of the alleyway and onto the next level below.

_ You’re dead if you fall, _ she scolded herself. She let one hand slip from the upper railing and grasped one of the lower bars tightly. The secure hold allowed her to fix her grip of the other hand, and pull herself up and over the rail. Felicity looked down to where she had been standing only moments prior to see a wall of crates, tables, and debris crushed against the metal rails as the fence filtered the water passing through.

_ Leviathan protect me, _ she thought, more out of habit than any belief that the being causing this destruction had any concern for her. She grabbed for the knife at her waist. The wooden hilt, once beautifully carved with the Hydraean’s image, was now cracked and missing several chunks from her impact with the balcony. But the blade was still intact, and she used it to pry open the door to the building.

Felicity found herself in someone’s home full of children’s toys and knickknacks that were left behind when the family evacuated. After securing the knife to her belt once again, she moved through to the windows on the opposite side, looking out of each one. Finally, at the back of the home, one of the windows opened above a support column for the bridge crossing the overflowing waterway below.

Felicity climbed onto the stone ledge made slick with water. She was more used to ropes and wooden beams, but the ornate carvings along the edge of the bridge gave her enough hand and foot holds to pull herself up and over the wall. She rushed to the opposite side where she could once again see the Oracle’s platform among the chaos below.

Felicity’s eyes focused on the Oracle just as she was stabbed by a man dressed in black.

“No!” she screamed out in horror. But the man calmly bowed to the Oracle, as his long coat flowed behind him, and left on an Imperial ship. Felicity backed away from the stone wall of the bridge. Her world, and her city, was falling apart, and she was helpless to it all. A voice echoed in her mind,  _ What good is it to pray when the Goddess you worship is the cause of this chaos? _

The sound of twenty footsteps in unison made Felicity focus her attention to the street. A unit of magitek soldiers marched directly at her. With a gasp, she ducked behind the bridge’s column, but she was sure they had seen her.

_ This can’t be it. _ Felicity squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for their bullets to hit her. The guns fired, but she felt no impact or injury. She slowly opened one eye, then the other. The unit had gone to the crest of the bridge and fired on the Hydraean instead. Felicity didn’t wait for them to change their minds. She jumped to her feet and ran in the direction they came.

As she turned the first corner she came to, she nearly collided with a wooden beam. She ducked and slid underneath, immediately backpedaling to avoid collision with a wooden wall. It was a sailboat with red flag, laying on its side and blocking Felicity’s path. One of the ones that had been out viewing the summoning, Felicity surmised.

She used the ropes to pull herself on top of the hull. From her new vantage point, she could see several other ships had met a similar fate. The swirling wall of water Leviathan raised had taken all the boats from the sea and spun them directly into the city.

But even more concerning was that the route she had planned to take, to get to the higher ground at the First Secretary’s estate, was just  _ gone. _ The bridges and rooftops that would have kept Felicity above the water were just broken remnants floating in the water beyond.

The ship beneath her groaned and began to slide back into the rising water. Felicity ran along the hull and jumped from the bow, landing in ankle-deep water on the next rooftop. Behind her, Leviathan’s roars and growls had become eerily absent. Felicity turned back to the water to see Her falling downwards as water sprayed from her underside.

_ She is finished, _ Felicity thought. She knew she should feel horrified at the thought, but she couldn’t help feeling some relief.

Leviathan laboriously raised Herself into the air one last time and let out a noise of desperation. Around Her, the water glowed with yellow light as a rock rose from the surface.

_ Not a rock, _ Felicity realized.  _ It’s the Archaean. _

Felicity fell to her knees, and the water on the roof came up to her waist.  _ Please, Titan, _ she silently prayed.  _ Please protect Altissia. Make Leviathan see the devastation She is causing. _

The building beneath her suddenly began to tremble as Titan raised his fist into the air. She tried to stand, but was almost immediately knocked off her feet. She crawled towards a doorway at the far edge of the rooftop as quickly as the quaking and rushing water would allow.

Just as she reached the door, Titan slammed his fist into the water before him. Towers of glowing, yellow rock appeared out of nowhere. All around her, Felicity could hear the snaps of rock and stone breaking apart. One of the bell towers tilted, then fell to the city below. Buildings broke apart, the stone edges of the higher levels of the city collapsed. The entire world seemed to shudder in pain.

The only pieces of the city that had remained untouched from Leviathan’s fury were crumbling to the ground.

The water around Felicity started to rise rapidly. The towering wave surrounding Altissia began to fall with an impending white wall rushing across the city. Felicity struggled to open the door, hoping the stone would provide relative safety and an air pocket inside. She threw her weight against the door, then did so again and again until finally she heard the wood crack. She stepped back readied herself for one last push.

The water of Leviathan’s wall rushed over Felicity with the power of a thousand waves. She tried to reach for the door, the stone, anything to hold on to. But everything was out of her grasp, and she was swept away in the wave.

\-----

_ Open your eyes to Their light, and you will never be lost. _

Captain Aarao’s voice echoed in Felicity’s head. She felt weightless, like she was soaring with the clouds. She reluctantly opened her eyes to a world of blue. She  _ was _ soaring. She was above the city of Altissia, looking down on the lowest level at the sidewalks surrounding Mhaago. The canals nearby looked strangely empty, yet she could see fish swimming within their walls. In fact, there were fish everywhere, floating in the air with her.

_ I’m under water. _

As the realization swept over her, Felicity heard the memory of Captain Aarao’s voice again.  _ Even in the darkest depths of the seas, Their light will guide you. _ She pushed back the fear and panic that threatened to drown her and searched for the brightest light in the water and the infallible path to the surface it would provide.

It was nowhere to be found.

She clamped a hand over her nose and mouth to prevent them from sucking water into her lungs.  _ Up, _ she resolved.  _ Go up. _ Keeping Mhaago beneath her, Felicity kicked and pulled her way through the water. Her lungs burned with desperation as she made her way towards what she hoped was the surface.

Air rushed into Felicity’s lungs as her head finally came above the water. 

The remnants of Leviathan’s wall descended on Altissia as a steady rain. Both the Hydraean and the Archaean were nowhere to be found. In their place, a chorus of a hundred cries for help echoed over the water. People clung to anything they could get their hands on to stay afloat.

Felicity swam towards the part of the city that now made up the shore. She pulled herself onto a stairway that once connected the second and third levels of Altissia. The bottom of the stairs were underwater, and the top led to a crater left by one of the Imperial shells. Felicity spun around in horror as she realized exactly how much destruction had come to Altissia.

As she turned away from the First Secretary’s estate, Felicity saw the wreckage of a boat several streets away that had met its demise colliding into a stone structure that was once a large platform looking over the canals. It was only one of many that had met a similar fate, but what caught Felicity’s attention was the mast. One of the only pieces of the ship still intact, it boasted navy blue flags with a white sea bird.

_ The Cormoran. _

Felicity carefully navigated her way through the rubble towards the ship. A feeling of apprehension grew steadily in her chest the closer she got. Her crewmates may not have been her favorite people in the world, but they were still her crewmates. As Felicity moved closer, she could see more and more of the damage.

The stern was broken off entirely, and by the splintered wood at the tear, Felicity suspected it was from an Imperial shell. The mast, despite standing vertical, was leaning significantly from its base. Several dark stains blemished the deck she had so meticulously cleaned the night before. The bow had a gaping hole ripped into its side from the impact with the stone, revealing the hallway where Gifre had cornered her just before she left the ship. To Felicity, it felt like an eternity had gone by since then.

She inhaled sharply when she saw a crumpled form at the end of that hallway, only recognizable by his bright red hair.  _ Roux. _ She immediately felt guilty at the twinge of freedom his fate meant for her when she saw the smaller shape of Tym a bit further away.

As she scanned the wreckage for any sign of life - and finding none - her prayer from the previous night, the request to be saved from Gifre, echoed in her mind.  _ I didn’t mean it like this, _ she thought.  _ I would have endured a thousand years of his madness if it would have saved their lives. _

With a sigh, Felicity stepped away from the boat and turned her attention to the ship’s debris strewn across the platform. She found a compass that she fastened to her belt next to the Hydraean knife, a few articles of the clothing she had left behind, and a small knapsack to stuff them in. She didn’t bother with the broken pieces of other navigation tools, or things that had belonged to the others. After gathering what she could, she knelt overlooking the edge of the platform and tied off her sack.

“Surrigo,” a grating voice sneered from behind her before dissolving into a coughing fit.

Felicity stiffened.  _ It can’t be. _ She slowly stood and turned to the source to see Gifre leaning wearily against a broken wall of stone.

“Of all my crew to survive, of course it was ye,” he said. Felicity was frozen in disbelief, but her mind echoed the captain’s sentiment.

“Were all yer prayers answered by the _Goddess of the Sea_?” he mocked. He walked towards her, and it looked like a lungful of water was the worst that had happened to him that day. “Did you pray for my ship to be destroyed?”

“N-no,” Felicity stammered out. “Of course not.”  _ I never wanted this to happen. _

“O’ course not,” he repeated with a sinister smile. He motioned with his arms to the rubble around them. “A little hard for yer prayers to be answered when the ‘gods’ yer prayin’ to are too busy with all this.”

The words twisted like a knife in Felicity’s chest. She didn’t want to believe him, believe that all her prayers had been for nothing, but after what she had seen that day, she couldn’t find the will to disagree.

Gifre moved through the debris from the ship, picking out various items that survived the wreck, many of which weren’t his to begin with. He made a noise of disappointment as he looked over the boat. “A shame, really,” he said. “I was gettin’ close to expanding to a fleet, y’know.”

Felicity stayed silent.  _ What would he do if I just walked away? _ she wondered.

“Ye could’ve had yer own boat,” he said, intriguing her enough to stay. He stood and crossed his arms, staring at her. “I had the money for a second ship, a bit smaller. Wasn’t gonna be free, o’ course. But I was waitin’ fer the right time. Waitin’ on ye.”

Felicity’s brow furrowed. “Me? But wouldn’t Dax...”

Gifre cut her off, “That stupid oaf? His sorry ass couldn’t tell north from south. Ye had the skill for it, Surrigo, so It would’ve been ye, if ye had woken up any sooner. But there wasn’t gonna be any ‘Goddess of the Sea’ shit on any boat in my fleet.”

_ Woken up? What is he talking about? _ Ever since Captain Aarao had died, Gifre and his lackeys always taunted her faith in Leviathan. Felicity attributed their lower pay to less fish, a result of their offending Her with their comments.  _ He was pocketing most of it for himself, _ she realized. _ Leviathan had nothing to do with it. _

When Felicity didn’t respond, Gifre continued, “It was bad enough with Aarao leavin’ good people’s fates to Leviathan.” He spit at the ground in disgust. “My brother didn’t die because Leviathan decided it. He died because the bastard walked him off the plank in the middle of the sea.”

Felicity remembered the first time Captain Aarao ordered one of the crew to go overboard, only a few months after she had joined up. ‘ _The Hydraean will determine his punishment,’_ Captain Aarao had said that day. And she believed him, and believed Leviathan would protect the man if he was innocent.

Gifre let out a cynical chuckle. “But he realized, in the end, there’s no goddess deciding who should live and who should die. Not for my brother, and not for Aarao either. He died foolishly believing Leviathan would save him.”

“Don’t talk about the Captain that way,” Felicity said, a bit more forcefully that she intended.

“ _The_ Captain?” A look of disdain came over Gifre’s face and he lunged at her. Before she could react, he closed the distance between them. His fist connected with her jaw, knocking her to her knees.

“ _I_ am your Captain!” he shouted. He pushed the sole of his boot against Felicity’s shoulder until her back was on the stone. “Ye think without a ship, that suddenly I ain’t yer Captain anymore?”

Felicity tried to squirm away, but Captain Gifre pinned her beneath his foot.  _ Leviathan, why did you destroy so much, yet leave this man? _ But she knew the Hydraean wasn’t listening, and probably never had been.

Gifre dropped to his knees over her and leaned down into her face. “This is the thanks I get, is it? I did ye a favor and gave ye a chance to be something more than the bastard’s acolyte,” he said, his voice growing louder and angrier on each word. “An’ after all this time, yer loyalty is still only to _him_!” His hands encircled her throat and pushed down threateningly on it. “I should’ve gotten rid of ye as soon as I took over!”

“No!” Felicity struggled beneath him. Her hands grasped for anything she could find, anything that could help her get away from him. “Please,” she begged in ragged gasps, “Gods, please stop.”

“Yer ‘gods’ didn’t save Aarao from what I did to him, and they can’t save you now,” he hissed.

Felicity’s eyes went wide with clarity.  _ He killed him. And he’s going to kill me too. _ Her fingers frantically searched at her belt before finally making contact with the Hydraean knife. Without a second thought, she ripped it from its fastenings, and sunk the blade into Gifre’s side.

Gifre jumped to his feet as she pulled the blade out. For the second time that day, air rushed into Felicity’s lungs, and she scrambled to her feet. Her body felt like it was on fire from adrenaline. Gifre examined his hemorrhaging wound, then looked up at her with contempt. “Ye _bitch_ ,” he slurred. His face was already beginning to lose color, but he grabbed at her once again. Felicity dodged around his outstretched hand and plunged the knife into his chest.

“I don’t need gods to save me anymore,” she said, then pushed the captain and the knife over the platform and into the water below.

_ I’m free. _

The moment of serenity quickly gave way to a tidal wave of thoughts and emotions from everything that had happened to Felicity that day. She felt heartbroken, forsaken, liberated, and terrified all at the same time. Her head felt lighter than air, but her chest was thick and heavy.

Felicity Surrigo fell to her knees, buried her head in her hands, and wept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally planned as a prologue to a larger Gladio/Felicity romance fic. I only have a couple of scenes completed, and have no plans on writing more right now, but I do want to share what I have! Gladiolus was my #1 chocobro from the early demo and forever on. My plan was to explain some deeper motivations to his in-game actions, as well as introduce a more permanent love interest for him. This first chapter/prologue is the introduction of that character, Felicity.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2... in which I start to explore exactly why Gladio is such an asshole for a few chapters in the game, and we start the slowest burn of relationships in existence ;)

Gladiolus sat in a chair in Noctis’s room at the First Secretary’s estate as the prince lay unconscious. Doctors had been in and out of the room all day trying various methods to wake him up with no success. They had initially frowned on Gladiolus’s usual methods for waking Noctis up in the mornings, but even those were tried eventually. In the end, they had concluded that Noctis was under some sort of magical slumber caused by the Hydraean. The stream of people had fizzled out not long after, leaving the room quiet.

“Guess She really took it out of you,” Gladiolus said to the silence. He leaned to rest his elbows on his knees and let out a long, drawn-out breath. _What good is a Shield with no one to protect?_ The Marshal’s words haunted Gladiolus as much as anything they had seen on their journey.

“Just means I’m gonna train you even harder when you wake up,” Gladiolus taunted. “After all, you still have three more blessings to get.” Gladiolus waited for Noctis’s voice, making some wise-ass remark or dismissing the idea entirely. It never came.

Gladiolus frowned and leaned back in the chair once again. “Can’t sleep your way out of this one either. I’ll be here as long as it takes,” he said.

Gladiolus wasn’t going to repeat the same mistake from a day before. He had been too far away, and it had taken him too long, to get back to Ignis after the Imperial shell hit. It was nothing short of a miracle that only his face was damaged. Gladiolus couldn’t help but wonder if Ignis would have been hurt at all, if only Gladiolus had stayed with him instead of splitting up.

But Ignis had been hit, and was recovering in the next room with Prompto at his side. The only thing Gladiolus could do now was wait until Noctis and Ignis recovered, and make sure nothing like this ever happened again.

He picked up the closest book he saw - an autobiography of First Secretary Camelia Claustra - and began flipping through the pages to pass the time. Gladiolus was barely into the second chapter when Prompto peered around the doorframe.

“Uh, Gladio?” Prompto asked meekly.

“Yeah?”

“I really gotta _go_ ,” Prompto replied as he shifted back and forth on his feet uncomfortably. “Can you watch both rooms?”

Gladiolus held back a laugh. Prompto might not have been a fighter like the rest of them were, but his loyalty and devotion were unparalleled. And, his silly optimism had helped take the edge off of Gladiolus’s moods more than once.

“Can’t you piss in a cup or something?” Gladiolus replied with as serious of a tone as he could manage.

“W-w-what?!”

The panicked look on Prompto’s face was exactly what Gladiolus had expected. He smiled at his friend to reveal the joke, then walked to the door. “Why don’t you sit with Noct when you get back? I’ll take a turn with Specs.”

“Ha ha ha, good one, Gladio,” Prompto replied through a forced smile. Gladiolus clapped him on the back to send him down the hallway, then walked into Ignis’s room.

* * *

_Ninety-eight._ Gladiolus bent his elbows and lowered his head to the padded carpet in a hallway of the First Secretary’s estate. He held himself for a beat, then straightened his arms again. _Ninety-nine._ He repeated the motion one more time. _One hundred._ After his arms were fully extended, he let his legs fall to the floor and stood up straight.

Gladiolus grabbed his shirt and ran it across his forehead. The rest of his workout would have to wait until Prompto was awake and he could get out of the estate for a while. After only two days of recovery, Altissia was still pretty messed up, but there was a stretch between the estate and the southern camp that was good for a couple sprints. Between sitting at either Ignis’s or Noctis’s bedside, and the broken bits of sleep in between, he was eager for any chance he had to get out and _do_ something.

Gladiolus settled himself in a chair in Ignis’s room. Ignis had first woken up nearly a day ago, but the doctors insisted he stay on bed rest while his wounds healed. Gladiolus and Prompto had been taking turns sitting with him in case he needed anything, while the other stayed with Noctis. To all of their disappointment, Noctis was still out from his battle with the Hydraean.

Ignis’s chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. His bandages completely covered his eyes, but his stillness made Gladiolus conclude that he was asleep. Gladiolus leaned back in the chair and replayed the day of Leviathan’s summoning through his mind again, analyzing every detail to see what could have been done differently for a better outcome.

He never liked the idea that he, Ignis, and Prompto had to be the ones evacuating the city, but the First Secretary was very clear on her requirements. After Prompto had left on that Imperial craft to fly Noctis up to Leviathan, he and Ignis had worked to direct the citizens to safety. Gladiolus would have preferred to be at Noctis’s side, but again, the situation hadn’t given him any chance for it.

Of course, he’d done a piss poor job of protecting Ignis, too. He knew Ignis would tell him that they had done the right thing - splitting up to help more people, instead of sticking together - but it still didn’t change the fact that Ignis had gotten hurt while Gladiolus remained unscathed.

“It should’ve been me,” Gladiolus grumbled under his breath. He clenched both his fists tightly. He couldn’t change the past, but he was going to do everything he could to prevent it from happening again. The Empire was going to pay for what they did.

“Did you say something?” Ignis’s voice came from across the room, startling Gladiolus.

“Shit, Iggy,” he replied. “Thought you were asleep.”

“Unfortunately, my injuries have intervened,” Ignis replied.

“They make pills for that.” Gladiolus walked to Ignis’s bedside table and poured water into a small glass. “Which ones do you want?”

“None, for the time being,” Ignis said. “I can’t think clearly when I’m on them.”

“You’re not supposed to be thinking, you’re supposed to be resting,” Gladiolus replied. He picked out a few pills that he remembered giving Ignis once before.

“I doubt your sentiment would be the same, were you in my position.” Ignis struggled to sit up, but shoved Gladiolus’s hand away when he tried to help.

Gladiolus shook his head in frustration. “Yeah, well, I’m _not_ in your position.” He shoved the glass of water and pills into Ignis’s hands.

Ignis’s mouth turned down in a frown. “There is presumably no shortage of willing Imperials, if you would like to be,” he said sharply.

Gladiolus stepped back in surprise as Ignis swallowed the pills and water. The only other time Ignis had been so short with Gladiolus was that time he interrupted some coffee date nearly five years ago. Even after losing that Imperial Commander at Fort Vaullerey, Ignis hadn’t snapped at Gladiolus or the others.

“My apologies,” Ignis added more softly, when Gladiolus made no reply.

Gladiolus shook his head again. “No,” he replied. “You’re not the one that needs to apologize, Iggy. Niffs did this. _They’re_ gonna apologize for it.”

“And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” Ignis asked. “You can’t be reckless right now, Gladio.”

“What other option do I have?” Gladiolus asked, hearing his voice grow louder. He felt his anger and frustration rush hotly through his limbs. “I’m tired of sitting around and waiting for them to make their next move.”

“You bloody well know that is not reason we are still here,” Ignis replied, matching his raised tone.

“How could I forget,” Gladiolus grumbled. If Gladiolus had been the Shield he was supposed to be, they would all be healthy and on their way to the Crystal instead.

“Guys?” Prompto walked into the room. “What’s going on?” Their argument must have woken him up, because he was still rubbing the sleep from one eye.

“Gladio was just leaving,” Ignis said, before Gladiolus even had a chance to open his mouth. Prompto spun his head to look at Gladiolus, noticeably confused.

“Yeah, sure,” Gladiolus confirmed resentfully. If Ignis wanted him gone that badly, Gladiolus wasn’t going to object. And running some sprints to the southern camp was sounding pretty appealing. He could at least check in on Weskham while he was there.

“You’ll be back in just a bit, though,” Prompto said quickly. “Right?”

“We’ll see,” Gladiolus replied. When neither of them replied, he added, “Call me if something important happens.” As he walked out of the room, he heard Prompto quietly asking Ignis if he needed anything.

* * *

 Felicity sat in the center of a small sailboat between four crates of fish. She was headed back to Altissia to unload her catch and deliver one crate to each of the four relief kitchens that the city had set up. One week had passed since Leviathan’s awakening; the First Secretary and the Empire made sure the necessities were handled before focusing on clean up and repair.

After Felicity’s confrontation with Gifre, she had been herded by an Imperial relief force to long rows of tents set up at the outskirts of the city. Not even a full day later, they found her again - one among a short list of names that had classified themselves as a fisherman during the internment process - and herded her to the only pier that had survived Leviathan’s awakening. They had assigned her a number and a boat, much smaller than the _Cormoran_ , and tasked her with filling four crates of fish every day. The Empire hadn’t given Felicity much of a choice, but she didn’t mind providing fish for the city’s recovery.

Three working boys were waiting at the docks as Felicity finished her approach. She barely finished tying off the boat when they grabbed the crates for their respective chefs and began pushing their way through the crowd of people gathered. The crowd wasn’t there for food - the Empire had provided enough ration vouchers for each of them. Instead, they spent their time begging and bribing the fishermen to take them to Lucis to go home, to start a new life, or to just be anywhere other than Altissia. The Empire wasn’t allowing any transport away from the city, so the fishermen’s boats were their only hope.

Felicity double checked that her fishing gear was tied off and that her map and compass were secure in her waist pouches. She lifted the final crate out of the boat, intended for Weskham’s tent, and began pushing her way through the crowd. People immediately started shouting at her from all sides and shoving money pouches in her face as they tried to garner sympathy or intimidate her into helping them get to Lucis. Felicity set her mouth in a thin line and continued pushing through with no response. She wished she could help them, but one less boat bringing in fish meant less food for everyone.

As she got closer to the Imperial tent, where each fisherman had to check out in the morning and check back in at night, the crowd’s volume dropped to whispers before suddenly ending several paces from the tent. They hadn’t taken long to learn the consequences of an Imperial overhearing their attempts to illegally get out of the city.

Felicity quickly filled in her catch amount in the log, beneath the writing of the three worker boys that had taken her other crates. A young Imperial soldier hovered over her shoulder as she finished, and the way he read her record aloud, she knew he was new to the post.

The Imperial smirked, “So Merric failed to pick up the last load.”

Felicity shook her head. “I told him not to. I prefer to deliver it myself, sir.”

The soldier clucked his tongue at her. “Not your decision to make.”

“So long as the delivery is done, does it really matter who makes it?” Felicity asked. She gave the soldier a shrug and a smile before picking up the crate again. The soldier mumbled under his breath, but waved her on.

Felicity’s smile dropped as soon as her back was to the soldier. In truth, Felicity learned from Weskham that Merric, the fourth working boy, only had a younger brother left for family after the chaos from a week prior. Ever since, Felicity tried to make sure she would be the last boat to dock, so Merric could go off his shift early and take care of his brother. She knew it wasn’t much, but since the only inconvenience of it was to herself, she had to do what she could.

Felcity entered the perimeter of the southern camp where Weskham’s food station resided. The Empire and First Secretary had set up each of the chefs with a larger tent than most, in exchange for help preparing food for the people in their respective camps. As Felicity got closer, she heard Weskham talking to a deep-voiced man inside.

“And where are you headed?” Weskham asked.

“The tomb at Cartanica,” the other man replied.

Felicity rounded the corner, clearing her throat. _I doubt I was supposed to hear that._

“Ah, welcome!” Weskham motioned towards his stove in the corner. “In the usual place.” The man sitting at the long table inside tensed and eyed Felicity suspiciously. He had more muscles than even the ironsmith, brazenly on display beneath an unbuttoned shirt. Felicity averted her eyes and carried the crate over to the corner indicated.

“Are you going by boat the whole way?” Weskham asked the man. Felicity waited for his reply, but before it came, Weskham spoke again, “Don’t worry about her. She can be trusted.”

“Yeah,” the man said after another second. Felicity had never seen him before at Mhaago, but the way he so quickly accepted Weskham’s judgement, he had to be someone who knew Weskham well. “It’ll take a while, since we’ll only travel in the day,” he continued. “Won’t know enough of where we’re going to travel at night.”

Felicity snorted as she tried to hold back a laugh. _Guppies._ She looked up to see him raising his eyebrows at her, and she couldn’t tell if the look on his face was from annoyance, amusement, or both.

“You don’t need to know where you’re going to travel at night by boat,” she clarified.

“That so?” the man asked.

Felicity nodded. “All you need is a compass and a good map.” From his work counter, Weskham chuckled softly.

The man crossed his arms and made a noise of contemplation. “Hm. Don’t suppose you mind sharing the _how_ of all that,” he said.

Felicity gave him a knowing smile then walked to the empty side of the table. She pulled out her map and opened it to the sea around Accordo, then set her compass on top. “Here,” she said. “Easier if I show you.”

The man came over and leaned over her shoulder to look at the map. Felicity tensed up, despite silently reminding herself not all men were leches like Roux _._ To her relief, the man took a step back from her and leaned on the edge of the table instead. She cleared her throat, then pointed to a spot in the sea.

“Say you’re here. And you want to go over here,” she dragged her finger across the map to another point. “You’ll want to sail west-north-west, and go a total of ten miles.”

The man nodded along as she spoke.

“If you know how fast you’re going, and have a way to keep time, you know how far you’ve travelled,” Felicity finished. “Just be sure you know _exactly_ where you are before you start.”

“Seems easy enough,” he said. “But what about rocks and shit?”

“Maps are good for more than just directions,” Felicity stated. She pointed at a few symbols that littered the area between Accordo and Lucis. “Those indicate rocky waters. Stay clear of those at night, and you should be fine.”

The man smiled at her and crossed his arms once again. “Last question. Where can I find a good map and compass?”

Felicity smiled back. It had been far too long since someone had genuinely asked for her advice, and even longer since they had taken it. “Take those,” she offered.

He raised his eyebrows at her again. “Won’t you need them?”

She shrugged, “Nah, I know these waters well enough. And if I do need another set, I can get them easier than you could.”

“Thanks,” the man mumbled as he worked on folding up the map.

“Just remember, lad,” Weskham chimed in, “Speed doesn’t help if you’re dead before you get there.”

“I just want all this done with as quick as possible,” the man said. He tucked the map and compass into his pockets. “I should get back. Take care of yourself, Weskham.”

“You as well,” Weskham replied. “Give my regards to the others.” The man nodded his agreement, then left the tent.

As soon as the man was gone, Weskham turned his attention to Felicity. “How are you doing? What news is there from the docks?”

“Nothing new,” Felicity replied as she took a seat at the table. “More people arriving daily, getting more desperate to get away.”

Weskham nodded. “I imagine the crowd will only continue to grow.” He paused, then asked, “Has there been any word of the crew from the _Cormoran_?”

Felicity shook her head, but averted her eyes. Weskham already knew most of the crew had perished, but she hadn’t told him the details of her final encounter with Gifre. She certainly didn’t regret anything she had done, but Gifre was the first man she had killed that wasn’t an order from someone else. It was easy to ignore emotional burden of the decision to take someone's life when it could be excused as just following directions.

“Well,” Weskham said, filling the brief silence, “If they never find the captain, I for one wouldn’t be disappointed.” Felicity gave him a grateful smile in return. “Did I ever tell you about the time Clarus fought off pirates during one of our fishing trips?”

“You have,” Felicity replied as her smile grew into a grin. “But I don’t mind hearing it again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I headcanon that Weskham frequently shares stories of his younger years with Felicity, but without any of the titles or acknowledgement of who he and his friends were (especially since Altissia has a pretty strong Imperial presence at this point). So, to Felicity, Weskham just traveled around with his friends Reggie, Clarus, Cid, and Cor getting into various trouble along the way... :)
> 
> I wrote these scenes a while ago, long before the Episode Ignis trailers came out, which means they're no longer canon-compliant to the DLC patches - but I don't plan on editing/changing them at all. I currently plan on using this story for some writing practice during NaNoWriMo - I'm not sure of how much of it will actually get shared in the end, but I'm pretty content with these couple of scenes!


End file.
